


Night's Own Lullaby

by LittleRaven



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Missing Scene, Nightmares, Past Character Death, Recovery, Shell Cottage (Harry Potter), Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21585307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRaven/pseuds/LittleRaven
Summary: The first night at Shell Cottage, Luna has trouble sleeping.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: Hurt Comfort Flash Exchange





	Night's Own Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Val_Creative](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/gifts).



The nightmares weren’t any worse than usual. Luna knew not to wait it out by now; if sleep wouldn’t return, she could get up. Who could tell what sort of things lurked at the edges of a troubled mind, to prey on its frayed threads and settle in to nest? She was sure she would have to investigate them later. They were worth learning about. It would just have to happen after the war ended. There would be plenty of opportunities to study the creatures then, she mused. 

Luna got out of her borrowed bed. She had no wish to disturb anyone. That would make leaving the cottage a bit tricky. She considered staying. There must be things to distract her inside the room. Perhaps there was a corner full of nargles. It was certainly dark enough for that. They were worse about hidden and ignored spaces than moths. 

The thought did not appeal. Luna wasn’t up to finding a whole group of them; they had very pointy hands and feet, and she had no wish to end up cleaning the cuts they would leave on her fingers. It was a very long and involved process, which would take care of the distraction problem, but would also cost her the rest of the night, and the other inhabitants of the cottage their own sleep. 

What a rude thing that would be. After Bill and Fleur had been so kind, and the others had been part of her escape. 

She needed to get out of the dark. 

The sky was full. Luna breathed in as if she could swallow it. She could take it in and never finish, never see the end of the universe where the last stars faded out into the black. The light filled her and overflowed, still spread out above. 

She was glad she could enjoy it, and glad for the others who remained to do so as well. 

The thought stirred her. She turned, and headed to the grave. 

It was quiet, of course, and striking against the night beyond. The sky and the sea blended into one behind the cliff. The moon and stars, lending themselves to the water, lit up the foam of the waves rolling into the rock. The white of them brushed over the white of the headstone, against the surrounding black of the bushes. Luna laid a hand on the top. 

She had never met him before the day he died. It was only fair to keep him company now. She sat beside the tomb, knees bent to tuck her legs in. She stroked the earth at its edge and touched the stone again, her other hand digging into the grass by the bare mound. 

What flowers did he like, she wondered. Daisies, maybe. He had liked brightly-colored things, from what she had seen of him at Hogwarts. They were bright and light on the wind. 

“I’ll get you daisies,” she promised. “I’m sure I won’t be the only one to get you flowers, so it should be alright even if you don’t like those in particular.” 

Luna leaned against the bush behind her. She looked up, and closed her eyes. 

The night lulled her to sleep, until sunrise followed it. Luna brushed her fingers over the top of the gravestone. “I know you’ll have other visitors. Thank you for your time. It was very nice.” She slipped back inside to make ready for the day.


End file.
